


What is this Feeling

by Kaoru_chibimaster



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), literal schoolgirl crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22719745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster
Summary: Maybe if she stayed out of sight long enough—“Lady Edelgard—”“Hush Hubert, she’ll hear you!”
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 13
Kudos: 87





	What is this Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve unexpectedly fallen in love with this pairing so I had to let something short and sweet out for it. Happy Valentine’s Day!

“…You realize she already knows you’re standing here, correct?”

Edelgard sent a miffed glare at her vassal, fists clenching as she tried to will away the flush she was certain was starting to spread across her face. It was a splotchy glowing red beacon that Edelgard was certain was unbecoming of _anyone_ , let alone the future emperor.

“No thanks to your unwarranted interruption!” she spat through gritted teeth. Hubert, helpful as he was, only responded with infuriating smugness.

“Was it not the professor you were so fixated on not, oh what was it, two minutes ago?”

“No! Well, yes but!” Agh! There was no proper way to convey the differences in her admiration of the professor compared to her affection for her new classmate. Being pestered…or teased, really, about it wasn’t going to do anything but aggravate Edelgard.

Then again, she suspected that this might have been Hubert’s aim.

“Are you tormenting me because I suggested to the professor to pair you up with Ferdinand more often for class activities.” She only wanted them to get along, after all. Their endless bickering at the lunch table was more than a little grating, so she supposed some time spent bickering in solitude instead might fix that issue.

It hasn’t so far, but she was crossing her fingers.

“Nonsense, Lady Edelgard. I would _never_.”

“You’re smirking at me.”

“I’m always smirking.”

It took a long sigh and an internal struggle to stop herself from growing frustrated with Hubert, but in the end his intervention was more so a distraction than a legitimate problem. Best she return to the matter at hand.

Lysithea.

Still buried in her heavy tome. Still completely oblivious to Edelgard’s dilemma. Probably not so oblivious to her presence now that she and Hubert had been whispering furiously to each other for a good minute now. She paid them no mind, however. Always the studious one, working harder than the rest.

Edelgard respected that. More than respected, she admired that.

More than just that, she was smitten. It was almost incomprehensible to her: how could she be so fixated on someone she barely knew? Knowing her position, her plans, what was at stake… Edelgard should have known better than to let her feelings dictate her.

But she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop it, either.

“Maybe,” Hubert so helpfully pitched in, interrupting her thoughts. “If you actually spoke to her instead of lurking in the shadows, you’d get somewhere with her. Besides, I thought ‘creepy’ was _my_ thing.”

“Oh stop, Hubert, you’re not—” Well… “You’re not _that_ creepy.”

“I’m almost wounded.”

Sighing, Edelgard’s entire frame slumped in distress. Hubert had a point; she’d never get anywhere hanging back in the shadows and watching from afar.

But…

“What would I even say to her? It would come across as peculiar if I just suddenly walked up to her and started blathering at her.”

“Invite her to tea then.”

Edelgard was already shaking her head before Hubert had even finished.

“That’s far too abrupt for someone I’ve only had one proper conversation with.”

“Is it? She just recently joined our class. I would say that this is a perfect opportunity for the house leader to get to know her new classmate, wouldn’t you agree?” Hubert nudged. A rare smile crossed his lips, a far cry from the grin he’d been sporting throughout their conversation, and it was surprisingly pleasing to know that he was genuinely encouraging this. Always looking out for her best interests, she supposed. Though he rarely meddled with her personal relationships beyond threatening people out of ideas of betrayal, so it was a little surreal that he was paying her crush towards Lysithea any mind.

“I’m shocked that you even agree to this. I would’ve thought you’d warn me away from her, what with her being a daughter of House Ordelia.”

It was, quite frankly, an altercation Lysithea took no part in and therefore held no blame for. And Edelgard wasn’t going to hold her responsible for her family’s role in a rebellion that happened when both of them were barely toddling.

But Hubert was always suspicious. _Always_.

“I won’t lie. I’ve been keeping a close eye on her ever since she’d requested to join the Black Eagles. And I won’t deny that she’s incredibly observant; almost _dangerously_ so. I personally would prefer that you keep her at a distance considering our…other affairs. But she’s shown no signs of disloyalty since joining our class. If she can be kept to our side, she’ll be a great asset to the empire.”

Edelgard furrowed her brow at that. Hubert was right to an extent. Yet the thought of that made her skin crawl. Her classmates weren’t just assets. They were _people_.

“Hubert…”

“And yes,” Hubert interrupted. “I’m well aware that you view her as more than an asset. You know how I think, as I know how you think. We can agree to disagree.”

“Which is why you’re here teasing me instead of telling me to stop.”

The grin returned at that.

“Harmless teasing. I never would’ve expected the heir to the imperial throne to be so frightened of asking her classmate out for tea is all,” Hubert shrugged.

Edelgard wasn’t stupid. She knew what he was doing. She _knew_!

She still fell for it.

“I’m not—!” she cut herself off. Arguing was fruitless and it only gave Hubert the win in this scenario.

Instead, Edelgard squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, determined not to let his words or her own nerves stall her any longer. She _would_ ask Lysithea out on that tea date! And they were going to have a damn good time and by the end of it, another date would be set up! And another, and another! Enough so that Edelgard would eventually reach a point where she was no longer a blushing, knobbly-kneed schoolgirl but a confident, self-assured young woman!

Oh goddess she couldn’t do this.

Edelgard just managed to turn on her heel, fast enough that her hair whipped around and thwacked her in the face and she could hear Hubert _snickering_ , when Lysithea’s voice reached her ears.

“Are you done huddling behind the pillar? I’m assuming you wanted me for something?”

It didn’t carry its typical bite, more so seeped in mild curiosity, but Edelgard was wary all the same. Last time they spoke, she’d been a bit too abrasive and Lysithea had taken it as an insult. She’d meant nothing of the sort of course, but it’d be hard to bounce back from that if Lysithea was still steamed over it.

She didn’t seem to be so far. Hubert was still waving her on instead of stepping in.

Sighing, she figured she’d do herself no more harm to turn around.

Lysithea was, of course, watching her with wide, focused eyes. A sign that she wasn’t in a bad mood, at the very least.

Alright. Edelgard could do this then. She had this.

“I do want you,” she blurted.

Her entire body flushed red not a second later. Hubert started snickering again.

“…to er…join me for tea? Please?”

Lysithea didn’t seem to put much thought into her slip up—thank the heavens—as she instead raised a confused eyebrow and closed her tome. Edelgard wasn’t sure if that meant she had Lysithea’s attention or if Lysithea was preparing to leave.

“An invitation to tea? You’re asking _me_?”

The former then. Edelgard could work with that.

“I—well, I—” And now she was stuttering. How attractive it must’ve looked.

“You realize I’m quite busy, don’t you?”

Oh no. That was veering into ‘I’m leaving’ territory.

“Yes, I know!” Edelgard was quick to interrupt. Honestly, she was fighting the urge to run a hand down her face, certain she’d made quite the fool of herself. Thankfully, the officer’s academy was particularly quiet this time of day, as most students _didn’t_ want to spend their free time studying, so Edelgard was saved the embarrassment of looking a fool in front of more than just Lysithea and Hubert.

Granted, Lysithea was enough to make Edelgard start to regret this ill-conceived venture.

“I’m simply inviting you because…” A deep breath, a heavy sigh… She could do this. “I want to get to know you more.”

There. It was out there, vague and unromantic as it was.

Lysithea, unfortunately, only seemed more confused.

“I’m afraid I’m not that interesting. I can’t imagine why you would want to get to know me.”

Somewhere in there was an unspoken “and you’re interrupting my reading” that Edelgard tried not to give into.

Besides, there were certain…qualities about Lysithea that made her statement an outright lie. Things Edelgard knew she wouldn’t want to get into. No one would, if these were the things Edelgard thought they were.

Regardless, she was most certainly interesting. And Edelgard had told no fib when she expressed wanting to know Lysithea more.

More than just a classmate, Lysithea could become a friend. More than a friend, in fact. Edelgard couldn’t see that through if she continued to hide.

“I beg to differ. Everyone’s interesting in some way. Please, allow me to learn more about you.”

At a skeptical, raised eyebrow, Edelgard had to steel herself before continuing. She couldn’t afford to trip up now.

“It won’t be one-sided, if that’s what you’re worried about. This isn’t an interrogation. I simply want us to grow closer.”

Lysithea clutched her tome close then, eyes lowered as an unsure expression crossed her face. She seemed to be debating on it, and Edelgard was almost holding her breath in hopes of not interrupting her thoughts. It’d be no good if she did or said something to sway Lysithea towards a negative decision.

Thankfully, her next words proved the opposite.

“Will there be cakes? It’s not a proper teatime without cakes.”

Smiling, Edelgard already knew she’d won this battle. Lysithea was absolutely right in that there was no proper teatime without cakes. She’d have all the cakes in the monastery brought to her room if it meant they could share that time together.

“Of course there will be cake. What time would you prefer…?”

Peeking at her tome once more, Lysithea seemed to let the question reverberate through her head before finally coming to a decision.

“This evening, before sunset.” She stood then, dusting off her skirt with one hand as the other held her tome close. She seemed serene about the idea, judging by the tiny quirk of a smile she gave.

It was hopeful to say the least.

“I have to suggest though,” she continued. “That if we have any further dates, you would let me know earlier. I have barely any time to prepare. I might have to borrow a few things from Hilda too…”

That last part was mumbled, but Edelgard was still reeling from Lysithea’s words.

She hadn’t specified that this was a date. Was she really that obvious?

In the wake of Edelgard’s stunned silence, Lysithea turned on her heel and offered only a wave and a “I’ll see you tonight” over her shoulder. Edelgard could only nod mutely in response.

Behind her, Hubert burst into laughter.


End file.
